Why Obama administration is neglecting NYC?

[Wajdan]

Despite the strong democratic base, Obama administration is neglecting the Big Apple. Just take the subways for example. MTA is planning major cuts to plug a $800 million gap and it would destroy the whole lives of New Yorkers. It is the only city with the highest use of public transport and Obama administration can easily plug this gap by doling out some stimulus money. They give billions to foreign countries, with most of that consumed by corruption and anti-American activities. This heartlessness towards their biggest support base is criminal, to say the least.

Mayor Bloomberg can also plug this gap easily if he wants. After all, he paid his way to an unlawful third term by spending millions and he is filthy rich but he won't.

New York City has this tragedy that everyone neglects it, whether Democrats or Republicans though they receive major chunk of their funding from here.

 

[Wajdan]

i found fluffy in the dryer

Man this is a very serious issue for millions of NYCers.

 

[Wajdan]

He came out really poofy.

Wanna see?

Yup, please

 

[Lurker2]

i don't know dude. i am native NYer. the MTA pisses me of hardcore but aside from that which is a clusterfuck, i don't really feel too abadoned

 

[Wajdan]

i don't know dude. i am native NYer. the MTA pisses me of hardcore but aside from that which is a clusterfuck, i don't really feel too abadoned

Well the feeling of abandonment varies Public infrastructure in NYC is in shambles and people here depend on public transport. Federal stimulus can plug any gaps. They should also rein in on MTA as the agency is super corrupt.

 

[Wajdan]

So you're saying Obama should give preferential treatment to New York?

not going to happen.

Btw, New York City is not it's own state. Our affairs are largely controlled by what happens in Albany and that, as you can see, has been a mess for years now.

So don't blame Obama for something that isn't his responsibility. If you want to blame anyone, blame the guys in Albany.

I am not saying preferential, I am saying just. I know guys in Albany are mainly responsible but they are also democrats and they receive stimulus from the federal government. By the way, $800 million to plug the gap won't be 'preferential'. Obama is spending billions on environment and NYC is a green city when it comes to transportation.

 

[Wajdan]

It is preferential. What other city would get even close to that support?
And Albany is run by republicans and conservatives, not Democrats

Plus, he's spending billions on the NATION. New York is one very small part of the nation.

Democrats were in majority but political maneuvering has tilted the balance a little Red. By the way, do not equate NYC with just any other part of the US. It is the financial and economic hub and serves more than 20 million people if you count the whole metropolitan area. And a huge majority of them use subways and other public transport. Other cities are gas guzzling giants.

 

[Wajdan]

Ok.. and the US population is what.. 300million+?

You're proposing Obama pick out NYC in particular and whether you like the word or not, give preferential treatment to New York b/c this is not happening to other cities.

It is a financial hub, but New York's importance to the country and to the world is not what it used to be and the nation does not live or die with New York. There are other cities and states struggling more than New York is and they are not getting the help they need.

New York will be fine. The entire country is in crisis. It wouldnt make sense for Obama to rescue New York while the rest of the nation is barely getting by. People are losing their homes, their jobs, etc. Cuts to the MTA should not be high on the list of the greatest national tragedies.

An $800 million would not cause a dent in federal budget and would not be preferential treatment; it would have been if it was $8 billion or more. Mind you, federal budget is in trillions that makes hundreds of thousands of millions in them. I know every city and state is struggling but those cities do not have the same ratio of the usage of public transport as NYC. Also no other city is as dependent on public transport as the Big Apple. Thousands can lose their jobs, especially the blue collar ones as they cannot afford cab fares in NYC and subway/buses are the only option. Federal money is still going to roads and highways in those states and that is not good for the long term, especially when it comes to environment.

 

[Wajdan]

^^^

Conservatives always expect the federal government to be small and frugal until they want it to swoop in and solve all of their local problems.

Excuse me? You calling me a convo? Mind you, I am on extreme left and therefore all for state/federal funding. It has become an 'in' thing to label everyone as convo, especially those that point out Obama administration's mistakes.

 

[Wajdan]

Regardless of the federal budget Wajdan, you should consider the deficit your country is running as well.

The city alone generates more than needed to clean up your MTA.

Perhaps you should call for your Municipality to handle the management of this a little better.

No matter how much money they give you, without proper structure or management someone's going to cak it up.

MTA is a state authority, not a municipal one. That would be great if MTA comes under municipal control as NYCers will find ways to fund it themselves, instead of relying on stimulus.

MTA is corrupt and there needs to be a federal oversight over transit authorities. There are already some proposals though they are related to safety.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/08/AR2009120803964.html

 

[NYtiger6]

It is the financial and economic hub and serves more than 20 million people if you count the whole metropolitan area. And a huge majority of them use subways and other public transport

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. Yes, the "Metro Area" of NYC has roughly 20 million people, but it is spread over 4 states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and one county in Pennsylvania. The large majority of those 20 million people do not even live within the borders of NYC (NYC's population is roughly 8 million) and do not use any of the MTA's modes of transportation.

Stop trying to find (faulty) reasons to justify your whining. Obama should not have any preferential treatment for NYC and it should be up to Albany to find ways to fix this.

 

[Wajdan]

So... start petitioning for better spend management, and what ever your complaints are about.

Don't expect the federal government to give you a hand out for something you can rally people who are experiencing the same thing to change yourselves.

Yes, we need to but that will be a long process. Perhaps, we need to have a new left-leaning party in NYC as Democrats have failed us badly and Republicans are even worse.

But, this little help is needed badly. Federal govt is doling out cash to every state and Obama has also allocated billions of dollars for environmental causes. This is also an environmental cause given the energy we save and the pollution we avoid by taking public transport. NYC per capita pollution levels are way lower than other American cities. You don't understand the importance of public transport to NYC, only a true NYCer can.

 

[Wajdan]

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. Yes, the "Metro Area" of NYC has roughly 20 million people, but it is spread over 4 states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and one county in Pennsylvania. The large majority of those 20 million people do not even live within the borders of NYC (NYC's population is roughly 8 million) and do not use any of the MTA's modes of transportation.

Stop trying to find (faulty) reasons to justify your whining. Obama should not have any preferential treatment for NYC and it should be up to Albany to find ways to fix this.

Do you really live in NYC metropolitan area or you are super rich and do not know about common people's worries? This whole premise that they don't use MTA services is wrong. What about Metro-North and LIRR? Last I checked they were under MTA. Also, hundreds of thousands from the Tri-state area work in NYC and they use subway during the dayWhat you guys are failing to understand is that $800 million is not preferential. It is not even peanuts.

 

[Wajdan]

i understand your thinking process better now

And I do yours....

 

[NYtiger6]

Do you really live in NYC metropolitan area or you are super rich and do not know about common people's worries? This whole premise that they don't use MTA services is wrong. What about Metro-North and LIRR? Last I checked they were under MTA. Also, hundreds of thousands from the Tri-state area work in NYC and they use subway during the dayWhat you guys are failing to understand is that $800 million is not preferential. It is not even peanuts.

Ok. I was just calling you out for using faulty numbers to make others look more sympathetic towards your cause, but for some reason you made it personal. I was born in Manhattan and then raised in Queens. But I'm now back in Manhattan so YES I LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY.

And yes I'm quite aware that Metro-North and LIRR are part of the MTA, but what you are failing to understand is that not everyone in the Metro Area uses or even can use the MTA. Plus, have you been to the towns along the MTA (Rye, Scarsdale, Bronxville, Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien)? They are definitely not where the "common people" live since most of them are on Forbes' list of the most affluent towns in America.

What about the people in Pike Country Pennsylvania?? They're part of the Metro Area, and yet MTA doesn't go anywhere close to there. It doesn't even go across the river to Jersey!

Pick one: NYC, NYCMA, or the Tri-State Area and stick with it. You keep picking regions with totally different populations and it's starting to make your posts look even worse. Do some research before you start spewing incorrect facts and faulty logic out of your mouth.

 

[Wajdan]

Ok. I was just calling you out for using faulty numbers to make others look more sympathetic towards your cause, but for some reason you made it personal. I was born in Manhattan and then raised in Queens. But I'm now back in Manhattan so YES I LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY.

And yes I'm quite aware that Metro-North and LIRR are part of the MTA, but what you are failing to understand is that not everyone in the Metro Area uses or even can use the MTA. Plus, have you been to the towns along the MTA (Rye, Scarsdale, Bronxville, Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien)? They are definitely not where the "common people" live since most of them are on Forbes' list of the most affluent towns in America.

What about the people in Pike Country Pennsylvania?? They're part of the Metro Area, and yet MTA doesn't go anywhere close to there. It doesn't even go across the river to Jersey!

Pick one: NYC, NYCMA, or the Tri-State Area and stick with it. You keep picking regions with totally different populations and it's starting to make your posts look even worse. Do some research before you start spewing incorrect facts and faulty logic out of your mouth.

at your mentioning of a few hamlets with a few thousands population as if they are the only places served by MTA's commuter lines. FY1, Metro-North was used by more than 80 million people in 2009 and LIRR by 83 million.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/lirr_ridership_tumbles_as_economy_l4FrYfKY3n6OPUFJsEIsGO

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100224/BIZ/2240342

Even if we keep the NYCMA in mind, hundreds of millions depend on MTA for transport. Add to this more than a billion that use the subways/buses and you have a figure of around 2 billion/year. MTA cuts will impact millions of people and this is a very serious issue. Do not take it lightly.

 

[Wajdan]

I don't think that Obama should give any preferential treatment to NYC, but there are a few things that are bothering me in this thread...

NYC is a small portion of the country
Well, the metropolitan area covers 20 million as mention above, which is actually umm, 8% of the U.S. That is a pretty significant amount.
Of course, the city itself has been estimated around 8 to 8.5 million, so let's talk about that number. The population of NYC proper is larger than the populations of Hawaii, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming combined. Granted, these are the smallest states, but they are still states. 9 of them.
So should NYC be treated as a special entity? I think so, to some extent.

I don't think it's in the interest of the current administration to bail out the subway system, but I wish it were. Not because of all the poor New Yorkers, but because it is a strong environmental alternative of transportation. And, I wish the government would help sponsor bus systems and other methods of public transportation...

Sigh. Obama. Sigh.

Finally some sane comments. Also don't forget the dynamics of American politics where Red presidents have always given preferential treatment to states that supported them in their elections.

As for environmental incentive, I mentioned in my earlier comment that NYC is the greenest city in the US. Obama is spending billions on environmental incentives and it can use some of that money on subway. He should, of course, also rein in on the corrupt MTA. All transit authorities have become money guzzling establishments.

 

[Wajdan]

Honestly, no one here in New York is begging Obama for money.

Albany needs to get its shit together. And New Yorkers are tough.. we've been through a lot worse.

Yes, NYCers are tough but its about time that they shouldn't stay mum. Those 1970s times can return if things go the same way as they are going now. Hundreds of thousands left the city then (of course the financially stable ones) and they will do the same now but what about ordinary people?

 

[Apollo]

Man this is a very serious issue for millions of NYCers.

I don't live in NYC though. The president is the leader of the ENITRE country, not just some city. As important as that city is.

IDK, why doesn't...the local government try fixing it's own problem? I mean, isn't that the point of a...you know...LOCAL fucking government?

Not to mention, there is a state government then next step up if the local rinky dinks can't do their jobs.

 

[Wajdan]

I don't live in NYC though. The president is the leader of the ENITRE country, not just some city. As important as that city is.

IDK, why doesn't...the local government try fixing it's own problem? I mean, isn't that the point of a...you know...LOCAL fucking government?

Not to mention, there is a state government then next step up if the local rinky dinks can't do their jobs.

MTA is under state control so local government can't do anything unless that turd Bloomberg loosens up his purse and plug the budget gap (He spent millions to get re-elected for the unlawful third term so he can do that as well). State is doing nothing and is cutting more and more from MTA budget so we only have the fed govt left.